Sony Xperia S landing on 5 March?

by1/15/2012 7:43:00 PM

1/15/2012 7:43:00 PM

One of the biggest headline-grabbers last week was the launch of the heavily-rumoured Sony Xperia S (formerly the Nozomi), the first phone without the Sony Ericsson moniker and the company's first NXT handset. So when will it finally arrive? If Clove is right, it will be here on 5 March.

That's the date when the company is said to be shipping the dual-core Android smartphone. Or at least, the week following that date. Obviously, you'll be talking SIM-free, which means laying out the money upfront. That money is quoted as £467.99.

Don't worry though. If Clove has stock of the phone on 5 March, there's every likelihood that the networks will be offering contract deals around that time too. O2, Three and Orange confirmed they will be offering the phone not long after launch, with T-Mobile following and Vodafone almost certain to join the merry throng. Pricing for the networks still to be confirmed across the board.

If you missed the launch, this is the first of the next generation NXT Sony Android phones, although it will only come with Android Gingerbread (2.3) at launch. An upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich will follow in the second quarter of 2012.

Other details are more impressive, with the Xperia S packing a 4.3-inch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine and HD resolution screen (1280x720), front (720p) and back (1080p) cameras for HD recording, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 32GB of internal flash storage, a 12-megapixel Sony Exmor R rear camera, NFC and HD sharing through DLNA and HDMI. In fact, if you hook it up to your TV, you can use BRAVIA Sync to control your phone.

As soon as the pricing is confirmed, we'll let you know. Orange is promising those details 'soon', so keep an eye on the site.